Why I can never support the American Civil Liberties Union

While I was at Time Warner Columbus Circle some black t-shirted Civil Liberties Union people came up to me asking for some funds. I told them quite boldly I had no time whatsoever for them.

I’m miffed about their stance on illegal immigration. They have denied the people who live here legally their basic freedom and safety in that stance. They have inserted a culture that knows not the basics, i.e. correct side of a passage to walk on, subway rules, building rules, that women are respected in this country, that crime doesn’t pay (how could they, they got here by crime, didn’t they? It is their example, that yes crime indeed pays.).

Of the first New York City co-op’s decision to not accept smokers as co-op owners or tenants in their building, ACLU executive director Lieberman states:

“It raises ”novel issues of law, the ban on smokers is an intrusive condition and is troubling, because the co-op is regulating purely private behavior. … Her organization, would have to study the issue ”before making a decision about challenging these restrictions.”

”There are questions as to whether the rule would violate laws prohibiting discrimination in housing based on disability. Quite arguably, for many smokers, smoking is an addictive condition that would amount to a disability.”

Co-ops are not considered private in New York City housing law. They are subject to the same law as rental buildings. The co-op owner does not own their apartment, they own a share of the co-op building corporation. They own the building not the apartment. Shareholders can even be asked to move to another apartment of the same unit share by their co-op board.

Smoking is not a private behavior because the smoking when done “legally” — “just within the apartment” invades the ventilation systems, seeps through the floors, the walls, the windows. Its a very public and toxic offense which causes permanent damage to the other units and their inhabitants and, as seen in the two most recent deaths of firemen, lethal fire. Smokers in a building, higher insurance rates? — far, far less peace of mind.

If smoking is an addictive condition amounting to disability would you say the same for a crack addict or an alcoholic? Shouldn’t they be given the same “addiction is a disability” respect? Currently an alcoholic that is drunk and causing drunken damage in the apartment and building can be called in to 911 and arrested. Messed up on crack and hurting people in the building, the same. So then might we call 911 and report someone whose smoke in “their” apartment is causing permanent damage to our apartments, clothes, furniture, lungs?

Basically, just shut the puck up, p-l-e-a-s-e. When you side with the minority committing crimes you taketh enormously from the majority that is co-operating with current civilization code. Put that one in your ‘donations please’ basket.